Prestwick or Edinburgh, that is the question!

I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to helping me via this thread and its sister thread on the Historical Forum to plan what I hope will be an enjoyable, if brief, visit to Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Scotland wha hae! (if that’s right)

Many thanks, Ren Frew, I’m on to plan B with dodrums now so will go straight to GLA from Prestwick, meet you if possible and spend a few hours getting marvellous photos (I hope, can you fix the weather?). Then back to the Central station to meet dodrums perhaps 5 or 6ish, whichever is good for him.
Please note that I shall be computerless after Sunday, when I start my trip via Cambridge (and perhaps a look in at Duxford, who knows?) I’ll PM you my mobile number anyway. Any more discussion could be via PMs and mobile.

Of course Ryanair will be ontime last month 93% of Ryanair flights arrived on time and 99% within 1 hour were as Easyjet had 75% on time and 95% within one hour.So even if your a little worried about Ryanair rumoured bad service (which is exactly the same as every other LCC)You can be almost 100% sure that your flight will be on time.

Great stuff, Ren Frew, however I have a coffee date with dodrums at the city centre almost fixed up now. I thought I would go from there to GLA and eat lunch in the airport. Would be very pleased to meet you also if it’s possible, we should be doing this via PMs though!
I will be going to Edinburgh city centre (Waverley?) for the Hotel Point in Bread Street in the early evening. Do you know if there’s a left luggage facility or lockers in Glasgow Central station?

You’ll pass Paisley Gilmour Street station on the way to Glasgow Central. To get to GLA just take the train back to Paisley on the Ayr, Ardrossan, Wemyss Bay or Greenock services (don’t get confused with the train going to Paisley Canal Station) and follow the instructions already given. It’s exactly ten minutes on the train between the two points. Yes there are left luggage lockers at Central Station, beside platform 11 as I recall?

Edinburgh centre is indeed Waverley station, Haymarket is the stop before this on the way from Glasgow Queen Street station. That train trip will take you 50 mins Glasgow-Edinburgh.

I think I’m free that day (so far) so I’ll PM nearer the time and try to show you a few good vantage points.

Great stuff, Ren Frew, however I have a coffee date with dodrums at the city centre almost fixed up now. I thought I would go from there to GLA and eat lunch in the airport. Would be very pleased to meet you also if it’s possible, we should be doing this via PMs though!
I will be going to Edinburgh city centre (Waverley?) for the Hotel Point in Bread Street in the early evening. Do you know if there’s a left luggage facility or lockers in Glasgow Central station?

Get the train from Prestwick Airport terminal to Paisley Gilmour Street (the stop before Glasgow Central) this takes just about 40 minutes. Follow the signs out of the station to the airport shuttle bus bay on Old Sneddon Street or grab a taxi from the rank at the front of the station. It’s five to ten minutes to GLA, you could even walk it in about 25 mins if feeling energetic.

There are several photo spots around the perimeter fence and to the west (left) of the main terminal building, you can snap the domestic concourse from within the terminal (through glass). If possible I can meet you, will check work schedules. Have a search for my “The GLA Meet” thread for more info on viewing spots or look at these sites www.saap.co.uk or www.egpf.co.uk

Renfrew Airport doesn’t exist anymore, it’s a housing estate now. If you want to go to EDI you’ll need to get the same train from PIK to Glasgow Central. then switch across the city to Glasgow Queen Street station for a train to Edinburgh Haymarket. The airport bus goes past Haymarket station to EDI which is west of the city. This complete journey should take around two hours, give or take.

At PIK, you’ll see Ryanair, Aer Arran and Air Wales, plus the odd 747 frieghter and occasional miltary visitor, there’s a lot of US Navy stuff in and out just now from the USS Enterprise which is on excercise off the west coast.

At GLA you’ll see a broad range of BA regional, Loganair, holiday charters and US long haulers such as AA, CO, AC and Zoom, you might even see a Balkan Holidays Tu-154 or a Travel City Direct (Atlanta) 742.

EDI is similar but with less long haul activity, no doubt Silver Snapper and RIP Concorde will fill you in on what’s to be seen at the moment.

Whatever – I hope dodrums will put me on the right bus or train!
Abbotsinch rings a bell, though, I flew there in a Viscount once, back in 1976 I think.

Isn’t Renfrew the old old airport at Glasgow that was demolished? I think the new one is at Abbotsinch?

Thanks very much, everyone, just found Renfrew and Prestwick on a map – the latter is 32 miles from Glasgow!!! Typical Ryanair, dump you in the middle of nowhere. Looks like lunch in Glasgow and the afternoon at Renfrew – any good photo sites there?

PIK has Ryanair, Aer Arran, and I think BMI Baby, with a few night freighter movements, the vast majority of stuff operates from GLA. There is quite a nice train journey along the coast from the Airport railway station into Glasgow central station or the stop before, from which both have shuttle bus services to the airport.
I had a really nice day trip when I went back in September visiting PIK, GLA, and the city itself 🙂

I didn’t realise there are two airports in Glasgow! I was last in Prestwick about 30 years ago, and I think that was the only airport then!

I would actualy recomend you get the train up to Glasgow (GLA). PIK has not a lot going for it in terms of movements, but GLA is easily acessible, and has quite a few good view points (even more if you meet up with Ren 😉 )